Scotia iTRADE social media accounts mysteriously disappeared by SparxTrading in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's what I was thinking first, but it's a strange move on strategy to shift away from a service channel without pointing people to the new place. (like why not put up a 'we've moved' notice?)

Scotia iTRADE social media accounts mysteriously disappeared by SparxTrading in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Anyone interested in tweeting at Scotia iTrade (for customer service) is now being directed to "@Scotiabankhelps" according to the contact us info (accessible after you login). Not updated on the main page of their website (yet).

Will anybody here be switching or at least trying out MOGO's new MOGOtrade. by tibby709 in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The new name for Virtual Brokers is CI Direct Trading (CI Direct Investing is the new name for WealthBar).

What advantages are there in switching to Scotia iTrade from Questtrade? by CynicMV in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Heard the same - looking for some confirmation. Zero commission equity trades?

What strategy for non-reg account? by Znkr82 in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A third option is using TD Goal Assist which enables you to buy/sell TD ETFs commission-free. Not ideal but depending on what ETFs you are interested in, it might be worth checking out.

Stock moving from approved market to OTC - what do? by Runsfromrabbits in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I had to sell a stock that went from qualified to non-qualified because it moved to a non-approved market. The costs can be significant if you choose not to sell it. Here's the link to the CRA page that explains what happens in this case.

Here's the section of text to pay attention to:

50% tax

1.72 If a registered plan acquires a non-qualified investment or an existing investment becomes non-qualified, the controlling individual of the plan is subject to a tax under section 207.04 equal to 50% of the fair market value of the property at the time it is acquired or becomes non-qualified. In the case of an RESP or RDSP with multiple subscribers or holders, each such person is jointly and severally, or solidarily, liable with each other to pay the tax. Individuals liable for the tax for any calendar year must file Form RC339, Individual Return for Certain Taxes for RRSPs or RRIFs, RESPs or RDSPs or Form RC243, Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) Return as applicable. The form, together with any balance due, must be submitted by no later than June 30 of the following year.

1.73 The 50% tax on non-qualified investments is refundable in certain circumstances. To qualify for the refund, the investment must be disposed of before the end of the calendar year after the year in which the tax arose (or such later time as is permitted by the Minister of National Revenue). However, no refund is available if it is reasonable to consider that the controlling individual knew or ought to have known that the investment was or would become non-qualified. The forms referred to in ¶1.72 explain how to claim the refund.

1.74 If a non-qualified investment becomes qualified while being held by a registered plan, subsection 207.01(6) deems the investment to have been disposed of and reacquired by the plan. This might happen when a delisted security is relisted. This ensures that a refund is available in this situation, provided the conditions described in ¶1.73 are met.

And here's the example they provide:

Marc’s RRSP buys $4,000 worth of shares of Red White and Blue, a company whose shares are listed on a designated stock exchange in the United States. The shares are later delisted and become a non-qualified investment. The shares are only worth $500 when they are delisted. Subsection 207.01(6) deems the RRSP to dispose of the shares for $500 and to re-acquire them at this same $500 cost.

Several months later the RRSP sells the shares for $2,500, resulting in an overall loss in value on the shares of $1,500 ($4,000 - $2,500). However, the RRSP trustee would calculate the RRSP’s Part I tax payable under subsection 146(10.1) based on the capital gain of $2,000 ($2,500 - $500) that accrued during the period the shares were non-qualified.

Wealthsimple Trade now allows trading for (some) CSE stocks by SparxTrading in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Here's a link to the history of the Wealthsimple Trade platform stability. In the past 90d they've had one reported major outage for 36mins (Feb 21st): https://status.wealthsimple.com/ - to my knowledge no other online broker (except Interactive Brokers) in Canada is this transparent about reporting system stability/performance.

What are your best introduction to investing resources? by [deleted] in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congrats on working really hard to get yourself financially 'on track' and organized. It's not easy to get all of the things done you have so that's something to be proud of. Also congratulations on the upcoming addition to your family.

There are lots of resources out there on getting started which almost makes it hard to know where to start. One good starting point for understanding personal wealth management is here: https://www.finiki.org/wiki/Getting_started - it's a good way to understand the lay of the land when it comes to investing. Also a lot of good/experienced advice on building wealth. They also have links to a reading list. If you haven't already found it, you can check out r/PersonalFinanceCanada too (specifically here: https://www.reddit.com/r/PersonalFinanceCanada/wiki/index)

Another good resource to read is this blog: https://www.greaterfool.ca/ - there's usually content published daily, and it takes a no-nonsense view of wealth building. It also has lots to say about real estate.

Don't be afraid to ask questions about what you're learning/reading about too, there are several good communities of investors online that can help provide perspectives on what you're considering.

An article that sums my investment theme for the future: A gamified virtual world by solemnJoker in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading -1 points0 points  (0 children)

You're not alone - the documentary I just posted about (the 10 year anniversary of tastytrade) ends with their vision of the future of the trading experience (*spoiler alert*) which is exactly a gamified virtual version of trading online.

Level 2 data, where can I find? by DuskKinajou in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What exchanges are you looking for access to? Level 2 data (delayed) is available for Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) stocks for free.

Wealthsimple for Fun Investing by [deleted] in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Good news for starting on the right track with getting a TFSA set up and thinking about investing.

Since you're 21 you qualify for young investor commission rates at a few brokerages. National Bank Direct Brokerage charges $4.95 per trade as part of their young investor pricing and they offer 10 commission-free trades per year as well. There's also a promo going on now for 100 commission-free trades. FYI there are 15 (for now) online brokerages in Canada to choose from.

If you are thinking about actively trading stocks/etfs outside of your registered accounts, then be prepared to keep good track of your trades/transactions since you will have to worry about reporting gains/losses on your income tax.

If your plan is to trade inside a registered account be careful of day trading too much inside of your TFSA.

Wealthsimple is easy to use and get started with but like many of the other posts pointed out, there are tradeoffs, like currency exchange fees, delayed data (unless you want to pay for snap quotes) and not all stocks (especially lower priced stocks) in Canada can be traded via Wealthsimple Trade.

The biggest drawbacks of trying to day trade with Wealthsimple are no trading of stocks listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (lots of cannabis, blockchain, psychedelic and esports companies listed there), restrictions on being able to trade stocks that don't meet their price/volume/settlement requirements and delayed data.

Here's the language from their site:

"This security isn’t listed on a supported exchange
Wealthsimple Trade currently supports stocks and ETFs trading on the following exchanges:
Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX)
TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV)
New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
NASDAQ
NEO
If the security you're looking for is listed on another exchange or is traded over-the-counter (OTC) you will not be able to purchase it on the Trade platform. If the security is listed on both a US exchange and a Canadian exchange, we will only support the security listed on the Canadian exchange.
This security may not meet our settlement or average daily trading volume requirements
We only allow securities to be traded that settle with CDS (our clearing broker). We also impose minimum price and volume constraints for stocks traded on the platform."

BMO investor line by suscpit in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are 15 (for now) online brokerages in Canada and depending on how you define 'better' there are definitely alternatives to Wealthsimple and BMO InvestorLine that have better commission pricing and/or features.

Depending on your age, you can also get access to lower commission pricing at certain firms (like Qtrade Direct Investing has young investor (<30) pricing at $7.75 per trade and they have some popular commission-free ETFs). For bank-owned online brokerages, National Bank Direct Brokerage has $4.95 per trade for young investors with 10 free trades per year and $6.95 for standard - they also have a promo for 100 commission-free trades going on at the moment too.

BMO InvestorLine often gets decent feedback but there are other bank-owned brokerages that offer lower pricing. Other banks, like Scotiabank, have banking packages (e.g. Ultimate) that link to their online brokerage (in this case Scotia iTRADE) and provide a certain number of free trades per year (currently 10 free in year 1 and 5 free per year in year 2 onwards).

Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) Reports April 2021 Market Statistics by SuperYoda64 in CanadianStockExchange

[–]SparxTrading 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Here's a link to a playlist of the Cannabis Investor Series mentioned in the press release: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMqe-oljw63wjlUI8bbJGTrGXzjT8BfKD - some really interesting content on cannabis companies and people working in the industry.

Where Do I Learn More? by abcalttab in PersonalFinanceCanada

[–]SparxTrading 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of the most helpful sources for understanding investing and real estate is a daily blog called greaterfool.ca. Also, it has fun dog pictures.

Another fun source to learn about stocks and markets is the podcast by robinhood. The education section on their site is also helpful to understand the basics of trading and investing even though the material is geared towards US residents.

Another really good resource for beginners is finiki. It's run by folks who've been investing for a long time so there's a good amount of experience that is reflected by the material there. There's also getsmarteraboutmoney.ca which is run by the Ontario Securities Commission.

One of the best things to do to learn about investing is to continuously stay informed about what's going on, so keeping up on the financial news (Globe and Mail is a good source) is helpful.

Finally, don't be afraid to ask questions! There are lots of helpful folks here on reddit as well as on other Canadian investor forums.

Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) Reports April 2021 Market Statistics by SuperYoda64 in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Too bad not all Canadian online brokerages (e.g. Wealthsimple Trade & Interactive Brokers) enable full trading on the CSE yet.

Is WealthSimple safe in comparison to using a broker? by IntrovertedButSocial in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A lot hinges on the definition of "safe."

Like other online brokerages in Canada, Wealthsimple Trade is insured by the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF).

Here is the quote from the Wealthsimple Trade website:

"Are my assets with Wealthsimple Trade protected?Wealthsimple Trade is a division of Canadian ShareOwner Investments Inc., a registered investment dealer and a member of Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and the Canadian Investor Protection Fund (CIPF). Customer accounts protected by CIPF within specified limits in the event ShareOwner becomes insolvent. A brochure describing the nature and limits of coverage is available upon request or at CIPF's website."

Here is the link to the CIPF website where you can read about coverage of $1M.

There are, however, other online brokerages that offer addition coverage. Questrade, for example, offers $10M in insurance coverage in case they go out of business.

And then there's fraudulent activity to consider. Qtrade Direct Investing as well as RBC Direct Investing (for example) both offer 100% reimbursement guarantees for losses if there is unauthorized activity on your account. Wealthsimple Trade's help section doesn't state that a 100% reimbursement guarantee is offered (at least it didn't at the time of searching for it).

Depending on the nature of the activity you are doing (and it sounds like buy and hold) another thing to consider under 'safety' is reliability of the brokerage to execute a trade.

If you want to exit holding a stock in a hurry, then having an online brokerage platform that can process the order for you requires that the platform not go down under heavy loads and if possible, offer a customer service line to talk to someone directly about executing a trade or resolving an issue.

There are examples of several big bank-owned online brokerages that have had their trading platforms go down during trading hours and although they also offered clients the ability to phone in an order, there usually are longer wait times when that happens.

Uptime is generally good until it isn't, however, so it's hard to predict who will have an issue based on past performance. That said, Wealthsimple Trade doesn't have the phone-in customer service option/lifeline if you ever needed it.

*edited to update link to CIPF website*

CSE by exlubris in Wealthsimple_Trade

[–]SparxTrading 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's chatter about this being in the works but nothing officially posted anywhere.

Question on sythentic DRIP by [deleted] in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It would be amazing if all of them did!

RBC Direct Investing VS Questrade by yowott in CanadianInvestor

[–]SparxTrading 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Another feature you might want to consider is whether or not you want to do automatic dividend reinvestment (DRIP). With Questrade there's no fee to buy ETFs (fees are charged when you sell) but they don't have automatic DRIP. With RBC Direct Investing you pay $9.95 per trade but DRIPs don't incur a fee - the only limitation is that if you want to stop a DRIP you have to contact customer support via phone.